For the Flames, the line to watch is Jokinen, Glencross, Stepniak - they have been very good for the Flames so far. Jokinen is playing his best hockey since becoming a Flame. Roman Horak, who was aquired from the Rangers as part of the deal for Erixon, has been a very pleasant surprise. He's got 4 points in his last two games. Kipper is playing at the top of his game again.

On the bad side - the D looks a bit shaky at times. There are a lot of missed passes and missed opportunities. The team just isn't "clicking". It might be that it's early in the season, but overall, this isn't a great team.

Should be a good game. It looks like the Canucks may have finally got on track, with their huge win over the Caps. The Flames are riding a 2 game win streak and they are playing at home.

I'm tired of hearing the over-analysis of this team and most of all how much they are hated around the league. No one like Philly for years either, but they have had success. Happens to all successful teams. It's just in today's world, we the public, get wind of it faster and more often.

A win to start the road trip would be nice. The fact that it is a divisional opponent is also important. We owned the division last year and it would be nice to do so again.

Calgary almost always plays us tough so no cake walk. Of course we always seem to get up for them too. I think tonight Kesler shines and Booth gets his first as a Canuck. Higgins leaves em wondering why they never kept him.

Kipper keeps the Flames in the game and keeps the score close. Luongo does not. Despite Kipper out playing Luongo (is he in a contract year) the Canucks will prevail.

I think Luongo will have a steady performance, he seemed to snap out of whatever mental fog he's been living in for the last month in the third period of the Washington game, and making that huge glove save on Ovechkin was something he really needed. I also heard the return of some "Looooous" in Rogers Arena by the end of that game, and maybe he needed that. I don't expect him to stand on his head tonight, nor do I think he's at the point where he's going to bail the team out and steal a game, but I don't get the feeling that he's going to come unglued and let in a string of softies. It is November, so now the game mean something to this team and it's goalie, and that means that Luongo is on the cusp of playing Vezina-worthy hockey for three-and-a-half months until he has a 2 week mental lapse and then puts it together to end the season (is it any wonder he always comes up just shy of winning the Vezina?)

As HW mentioned, the Canucks always put it together against these guys, and vise-versa. When they come up short, it is generally the result of some bad bounces for Vancouver, some lucky bounces for them, and/or Kiprusoff putting up a wall. Kipper is easily solvable though, just screen him and move the puck point to point and let it go. If Mikka the Keepa has one weakness, it's his ability to track the puck through traffic, he's amazing positionally, and sets up well to cover the gaps in his defense, but if a shot gets through a defender you have a good chance of beating him.....none of this is to say that he won't make some amazing saves and isn't one of the NHL's better goalies.

Calgary's defense is much different now with the departure of Regehr. He was their key crease-clearer and their steadiest guy on the PK. Sarich can be as physical and throw the big hit, but he's more irresponsible. Hannan is a decent replacement for Regehr, but not as strong. Beyond that they don't have much in the way of depth on the blueline, at least nothing that can't be outplayed by 3 of our lines if they work hard.

Hank wrote:Sorry Expat, we likes ya but I expect to see Kipper lift up his mask and drink water with that vacant stare of his... at least 4 times.

Hey no problem - I expect to be disappointed tonight. Like I said, the Flames have won their last two games, but there are still some holes in their game. They certainly can be had. By the same token, maybe everything will go their way - but I'm not holding my breath. It'll be a good test for both teams - for Vancouver to see if they have actually regained their form and for the Flames to see if they can compete with an elite team.

BCExpat wrote:Hey no problem - I expect to be disappointed tonight. Like I said, the Flames have won their last two games, but there are still some holes in their game. They certainly can be had. By the same token, maybe everything will go their way - but I'm not holding my breath. It'll be a good test for both teams - for Vancouver to see if they have actually regained their form and for the Flames to see if they can compete with an elite team.

Haha - you say all the right things on a rival board, but if I read between the lines...

"Hey no problem - I expect you to be disappointed tonight. Like I said, the Flames have won their last two games, and there are still some more assholes in their game. They certainly can't be had; everything will go their way. It'll be a good test for both teams - for Vancouver to see if they have actually regained their form (not) and for the Flames to prove they are an elite team."